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Marx Commodore Vanderbilt train engine

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 8, 2019April 18, 2024

The Marx Commodore Vanderbilt train engine was one of Marx’s most enduring and beloved locomotives, produced from 1934-1942 and again from 1946-1952. It remains popular with collectors and operators today.

Based loosely on the New York Central’s streamlined Art Deco-style Hudson locomotive introduced in late 1934, Marx typically packed the Commodore Vanderbilt into sets with its six-inch cars and a loop of O27 track. The sets were available anywhere toys were sold, and came in windup and electric versions.

Stream from Windows Media Player to Roku

Dave Farquhar Windows March 7, 2019October 23, 2022

I wanted to be able to stream from Windows Media Player to Roku. I have lots of media stored on my Windows computers, but what’s the point of connecting a computer to my TV if I already have a Roku on it? Fortunately it’s not hard to get Roku and Windows talking.

People of a certain age probably have a lot of media loaded on their PCs, whether it’s MP3s ripped from CDs or vinyl, home movies, or digital video obtained from other sources. Needless to say, a lot of that stuff isn’t on streaming services and never will be. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to watch it.

Windows Media Player can stream between multiple PCs, but it can also stream to devices like Roku, which, in many cases, is even more convenient.

Why collect baseball cards?

Dave Farquhar Baseball March 6, 2019February 26, 2019

When I was a kid, baseball cards were something everyone collected. Today, it’s an obscure hobby. So why collect baseball cards?

People collect cards for any number of reasons, including the thrill of finding a card when they least expect it, a relatively inexpensive means to enjoy the sport of baseball, and even, to a degree, to make money.

13 ways to save money on power tools

Dave Farquhar DIY March 5, 2019December 14, 2020

Have you ever looked into a DIY project and the person talks about how they built something for $10, but you count up $5,000 worth of tools they used to build it? It’s hard to save much money when a project requires expensive tools. So here’s how to save money on power tools. 13 ways, in fact.

Most projects assume you have about six common tools to get them done. In a pinch, you can get most of them done with four or five essential tools. The essentials should cost you less than $200, and with careful shopping, you can assemble a reasonable collection of tools over time and spend less than $500.

Grades of power tools

Dave Farquhar DIY March 4, 2019June 14, 2021

Much like cars, power tools come in different grades and price points. Just like General Motors sells you a Chevy in hopes you’ll move up the ladder to eventually buy a Buick or a Cadillac from them, toolmakers do the same thing, selling different grades of power tools at increasing price points, under different brand names for each.

Most tools that hardware stores sell fall into three ranges: consumer, prosumer/enthusiast, and professional grades, at increasing price points. As long as you use the tools how the manufacturer intended, you can be happy even with inexpensive tools.

Do Lionel trains have lead paint?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 1, 2019January 19, 2022

Do Lionel trains have lead paint? Lionel LLC says to the best of their knowledge, no. But Lionel LLC didn’t make those vintage trains. Some Lionel trains do, indeed have lead paint in them. Here’s what to do about that.

One has to assume that any Lionel train made prior to 1978, and certainly prior to 1970, would have been painted with lead paint. Not every paint Lionel used necessarily had lead in it. This means you must take precautions when running vintage Lionel trains. Namely, wash your hands afterward, and ensure children who participate in the session wash theirs.

We buy houses for cash. What does that even mean?

Dave Farquhar Investing, Saving money February 27, 2019September 26, 2020

I’m sure you’ve seen the signs attached to telephone poles. They say “We buy houses for cash,” stapled to a telephone pole or maybe stuck into the ground. They include a phone number and maybe a promise of a cash advance or a quick closing. You may have even received a post card in the mail offering to buy your house for cash. Who are these people, and should you consider selling to them?

If you’re not interested in selling and aren’t already working with a realtor, you have every reason to ignore those signs and postcards. If working with a realtor isn’t an option for you and you do need to sell your house or risk losing it, going the cash route may be an option for you.

Stop phone calls from political parties if you don’t want them

Dave Farquhar security February 26, 2019February 17, 2019

Any time Congress makes it illegal to robocall you, they exempt political calls. That makes it hard to stop unwanted political calls and it pretty much means your phone is going to ring off the hook in the runup to the election. But you can still get peace regardless. Here’s how to stop phone calls from political parties if you don’t want them.

Most robocall services or apps block political robocalls along with all the others. Many of them work with landlines and cell phones. If you have a landline phone that doesn’t work with robocall services, you can still use a device to block the calls.

Origin of DeWalt tools

Dave Farquhar DIY February 25, 2019July 11, 2023

The history and origin of DeWalt tools can be a little confusing. In some regards, the DeWalt brand has two origin stories in its history. That’s why DeWalt started in 1923 but you might not remember seeing it much until the early 1990s. DeWalt is a good example of clever marketing.

DeWalt invented the radial arm saw in 1923. The company changed hands in 1949 and again in 1960, when Black and Decker bought it. Black and Decker divested the product in 1989 but didn’t sell the DeWalt name, which remained dormant. In 1992, Black and Decker turned around its struggling professional tool line by re-branding it DeWalt, which means that today DeWalt tools are made by Stanley Black and Decker.

LEDs for American Flyer, Lionel, and Marx trains

Dave Farquhar Toy trains February 22, 2019February 23, 2019american flyer, diodes, led bulbs, lionel, marx

A frequent, sometimes heated topic of debate is upgrading to LED lighting in the headlight of vintage American Flyer, Lionel, or Marx trains. It shows how sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. You have several options for LEDs in old electric trains, and not all of them are expensive or difficult.

Specialty retailers like Town and Country Hobbies sell screw-in replacement LED bulbs with an E10 base for vintage trains. It’s also possible to wire up your own circuit. You can also take your chances on cheap 12V E10 LED bulbs from Ebay.